The Cabin
by EspoirDio
Summary: Set before Fran arrives at the Sheffields. Sara wants a vacation and C.C. and Niles tag along, unaware that they will have to share a cabin.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi guys! I have a small new story for you...much shorter than the last. I'm currently finishing the last chapter and editing the rest so updates will take a couple of days but still be fairly regular. It's set before Fran's arrival and yeah...I hope you'll enjoy it. R&R please! :)**

The Cabin

Prologue:

C.C. Babcock and Maxwell Sheffield were cooped up in the office of the mansion trying to work. Emphasis on trying as it was almost impossible to focus with temperatures around 86 or higher. A heat wave had swept across New York a week ago and had held the city in its firm grasp since then. The sun was blazing down from an almost clear sky, ricocheting off the glass surfaces of skyscrapers and persuading even the most professional business men to roll up their sleeves and abandon their ties. Maxwell Sheffield had long since joined their ranks but C.C. Babcock, his secretary, had refused to expose even an inch of skin, determined not to display any kind of inappropriate behaviour even though sweat was uncomfortably trickling down her spine.

"We could open the door again." Maxwell suggested timidly but she cut him off before he had even finished the sentence.

"No."

They had tried that technique several hours ago but his children had toddled into the room, one after the other, proving a bigger distraction than the heat. First the boy had appeared, wrapped up in his robe, shivering and red-nosed despite the temperatures.

"I don't feel well, dad." He had whined over and over again until C.C. had been about to offer putting him out of his misery herself.

Then his mother had thankfully made an appearance, scolding her husband for not notifying her sooner and ushering her son back off to bed. The silence had only lasted for another five minutes until Maggie, the oldest kid, had appeared.

"Daddy, mom says we can't go play outside coz Brighton is sick. But that's not fair! It's so stuffy in here!"

God, could these children do nothing else than complain?

"I'm sorry, darling," Maxwell had sighed, abandoning his seat for a moment to crouch down in front of his daughter "But mommy's really got her hands full looking after Brighton and Gracie. You understand, don't you?" He had smiled then but when his daughter's pout only grew bigger he'd quickly added: "Or perhaps Niles will take you once he's done with the plants."

At this, C.C.'s gaze had shifted out towards the terrace, where the Sheffield's butler was busy watering the flower pots and trimming the bushes. He, too, had rolled up his sleeves, abandoned his tie and – much to her secret delight – opened a few of the buttons on his shirt. Noticing her behaviour and her lingering gaze quickly she had firmly announced that both doors had to be closed if they were to ever get any work done.

Since the butler had left, however, she had caved and allowed Maxwell to open the balcony door again at least. But she was determined to keep the other one shut.

"Have you tried calling the company again?" she asked with a sigh when she saw Maxwell's eyes flickering longingly to the door.

"Yes, they said they'd be by to fix the aircon as soon as possible. But it could be a while…they're in high demand right now."

C.C. took in the information and nodded and then tried to focus on her work once more. With their most recent play having just started performances they hadn't found the time yet to come up with a new production for the upcoming season. So while Maxwell had decided to work through some of the notices from their current play, C.C. had made it her goal to find the perfect new script. Over the course of the past week or so she had at least narrowed the selection down to three possible options. But since then she'd failed to make any further progress. It was difficult figuring out which one was best when they were all so different and appealing in their own right. Not to mention that it was impossible to predict which genre the audience would prefer this year. She stopped reading yet again, closed her eyes for a second and moved a hand to her neck to wipe away the sweat that had accumulated there. Just then Sara barged into the room.

"I've had enough, Max." she announced and the dark-haired producer looked up immediately, somewhat frightened. "The kids are on summer vacation and all you do is work, work, work!"

"We do have a business to run," C.C. intersected and instantly earned a glare. Shrugging it off, she returned her attention to the current script.

"Maggie is going stir-crazy and Gracie isn't loving the heat either. So the minute Brighton is better we're going away."

"Where are you going?" Maxwell frowned, taking off his reading glasses.

"I don't know yet," the blonde snapped, wiping her hands on her pants "I haven't got that far. But somewhere cooler, somewhere we can finally relax and you can enjoy the vacation with your family."

"I'm coming too?" he stammered.

"Yes, of course, you are." Sara huffed impatiently "You have until the end of this week, Maxwell Sheffield. By then God willing your son will be better and I will have made arrangements."

"We can't just close business for summer, Sara." C.C. pointed out, this time a firmer note to her tone "Just because the children are home doesn't-"

"Yes, Chas, it does." The blonde interrupted her "My children come first and unless you," she directed her glance back to her husband "want to end up like your father, you are going to join us."

C.C. rolled her eyes and set aside the script, already knowing what was going to happen next. Maxwell had never been good at handling guilt. And as if on cue he mumbled "Of course I'll join you."

"That's just great," she commented dryly "so I'll be left setting up the whole next season while you're out with the family? And all of that without having earned a promotion? Must be my lucky year."

"I didn't say you weren't invited." Sara replied, shrugging.

C.C. opened her mouth to brush off the offer but suddenly couldn't quite bring herself to do so. The idea of escaping the office and the blasted heat for a week or so was definitely tempting.

"Alright, let's take some time off." She eventually conceded.

Secretly though she was already planning to stash some of the scripts and paperwork in her luggage and pondering how to sneakily share some of that workload with Maxwell.


	2. Day 1

**A/N: Thanks for your comments. :) Here's day 1 of the vacation. I hope you'll enjoy it. R&R please! :)**

Day 1:

When Sara had burst into the office the previous Friday to announce that she had indeed managed to book a lovely last-minute trip and that Brighton would be fit enough to travel, C.C. had actually felt something like excitement for the first time in a while. But now, stranded in the den of the mansion, she was already beginning to re-think her decision. The small space between the sofa and the front door was filled with towers of suitcases, vital travel documents haphazardly propped on top. The two oldest children were chasing each other around, bumping into her repeatedly while the baby, lying in her chair, was doing her best to surpass their screams with her own.

"Settle down, settle down!" Sara yelled, rushing down the stairs and at hearing another voice added to the mix, C.C. closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the first signs of a headache coming on.

"What's wrong, Babcock?" Niles asked suddenly, very close to her ear "Those maternal feelings overwhelming you again?"

But before she had even got as far as opening her mouth, Sara yelled again: "Maxwell Sheffield, if you don't come out of that office in a second I swear to God I am going to lock you in and we'll leave without you."

Although the sound bothered C.C., this time the comment itself also made her chuckle. Niles, who was also wearing a grin, had scooped up the baby in the meantime and was effortlessly entertaining her. "I'll take her out to the limousine already, Mrs Sheffield. Why don't you bring the other two and make yourself comfortable? The aircon is already running."

"But what about the luggage?" Sara sighed.

"I'm sure Miss Babcock will be happy to help," Niles tossed out over his shoulder while heading out of the front door.

"Me?" she scoffed and called after him "You're the goddamn servant."

"C.C., language," Sara scolded and quickly grabbed her other two children before they could run off again.

"Yes, C.C., language." Brighton repeated, grinning cheekily.

Glaring at him C.C. silently refused to lose her temper completely and marched herself to the office instead. When her knuckles rapped against the wood of the door she could've sworn to have heard a whimper from the man hiding inside.

"I'm coming, darling!" Maxwell then called and C.C. opened the door and quickly entered.

Her employer practically whirled around, his hand stuck halfway down a little briefcase, the edges of several documents still visibly sticking out. Spotting the title of their previous show on the top, a broad Cheshire Cat grin appeared on C.C.'s face.

"Everyone's waiting in the car," she said, deciding to let his actions go without comment.

Trying to regain some kind of composure Maxwell nervously cleared his throat.

"Yes, I'm coming." He nodded and after zipping up the briefcase and stuffing it into a travel bag, he followed her back out into the den.

There, Niles was just grabbing the last suitcase. "Mrs Sheffield and the children are waiting for you in the car, Sir." He explained formally but after eyeing his employer's bulky travel bag suspiciously a knowing grin appeared on his face politely allowed him to pass and then shifted closer to C.C. "You won't get away with this, Babcock."

She arched an eyebrow at him and frowned confused, innocent as she was for the first time. Once outside she then waited for Maxwell to join his family in the limousine only to notice that she'd only fit in there too if she'd squeeze herself between the boy and the baby. Since she had no desire to do so she closed the limo door again and moved to the front of the vehicle. This would've been her preferred spot in anyway, had it not been in such close proximity to Niles.

The drive to the airport was as noisy as a ride in a rollercoaster, kids screaming nonstop and their parents bellowing over them. And at the airport things didn't turn any calmer. Checking in a family of five plus two additional people and their luggage seemed to take forever and at times C.C. grew concerned that they'd miss their flight. But they made it just before the gate closed, all six of them running and panting, only baby Grace was peacefully asleep despite the jolting of her carrier.

This certainly wasn't C.C.'s idea of starting a relaxing vacation. Flights were strenuous enough for her and could only be coped with when the right amount of liquor had been consumed at the beginning but now she was sweaty, out of breath and in no way mentally prepared for the impending take-off. So when the plane sped up and tilted upwards she sank her nails into the armrest of the seat and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing to strangle the Sheffield kids who were squealing and whooping in excitement. Silently plotting their demise her eyes snapped open when she felt a hand on top of hers. Niles was smiling back at her reassuringly and for a split-second she lowered her guard and returned his smile. But then she began doubting his intentions and quickly withdrew her hands again.

"Don't get too touchy, butler boy." She muttered and turned her head to look out of the window.

* * *

It was in the evening when they finally landed in Missoula, Montana. The baby had fallen asleep but the other two children were whining and bickering because they were both tired and hungry. While Maxwell and Sara were doing their best to keep them happy, C.C. kept a distance all the way to the baggage reclaim. She, too, was feeling hungry and tired and figured that it would be better for her mental health to give herself a break. Niles, on the other hand, didn't have the freedom to make such decisions. He dutifully lifted suitcase after suitcase off the conveyor belt and guided the family out of the airport.

"Why don't you stay here? I'll go and get our car." He then suggested and fishing out the relevant documents proceeded further down the airport to the AVIS rental car shop.

Half an hour later he pulled up in a red Ford in front of the waiting family.

"Finally," C.C. sighed and without hesitation she abandoned her suitcase on the curb and slipped into the front of the vehicle.

The rest of the family had at least the decency to thank him before they also made themselves comfortable in the 7-seater.

"You're welcome," Niles muttered dryly and with a sigh started piling all their suitcases into the trunk.

The 2 ½ hour journey that followed took them through the Bitterroot Forest to the Alta Ranch. While the kids had been singing and playing games at first they soon grew bored of the never-ending highway and when Sara couldn't even bring them to be interested in the mountains that protruded on either side of them, they eventually fell asleep.

C.C. uttered an inaudible thanks for the silence that now enveloped the car and tried steering her mind towards more pleasant things. She was far away from New York with all its heat and soon they'd be reaching their destination where she would be able to relax in her own private room, far away from the noisy family. Comforted by these thoughts she also drifted off to sleep, her head resting against the glass of the window.

But what she awoke to was nothing short of a nightmare.

"We're here! We're here!"

The yells of the kids failed to register at first. But when the car doors opened and the passengers started to spill out someone knocked with such force against her seat that she jolted awake.

"Stop drooling, Babcock, we're here." Niles explained with a grin and C.C. – knowing that his comment had been to irk her but feeling insecure nonetheless – hurriedly wiped at the corners of her mouth before joining the family outside.

"Niles? Would you mind getting our luggage ready while we get us checked-in?" Sara asked, smiling sweetly.

"Of course not, Mrs Sheffield." Niles replied, having to force a happy tone.

"A servant's work is never done." C.C. sing-songed and then leaned against the car, watching him amusedly for a moment before directing her gaze to her surroundings.

The Alta Ranch seemed to extent to a wide territory. In the distance horses were grazing in a fenced in area, a river was slicing its way through the magnificent landscape and log cabins were peeking out from between bushes or trees. C.C. sighed deeply and breathed in the clean air that stirred memories of holidays she had spent with her grandmother if also the climate had been much warmer.

When Sara returned with Maxwell and the children, C.C. instantly knew that something wasn't right. Sara wore the same guilty expression she always had when she was about to deliver bad news and a quirk of C.C.'s eyebrows sufficed for her to open up.

"Well, we're all checked in!" she first announced, her voice trembling a bit when it hit the high notes "However," she hesitated and cleared her throat "Maxwell and the children and I will be staying in the Ponderosa cabin over there…" she paused again to point "but…it appears all the other cabins are booked so um…they only have a much smaller cabin in the woods to offer."

"And where is Niles going to stay?" C.C. asked, frowning.

The butler, who had already understood the situation scoffed and rolled his eyes. "We'll be sharing a hut," he spelt it out for her.

"Absolutely not!" C.C. exclaimed "This is supposed to be a vacation for me as well and I refuse to be staying in some servant's shack with the help!"

And with these words she marched herself to the main house from which Sara and Max had just emerged.

"Excuse me!" she spoke loudly, tapping her finger on the counter to get somebody's attention "I request a refund."

Slowly, the old man who'd been sitting in his chair stood up and approached her. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked with a friendly smile.

"I'm with the Sheffields and we've booked 3 separate cabins and now I have to share some ridiculous little hut with someone else. Do you find that acceptable?"

"No, I suppose such an arrangement would irk me too, Miss. However, we did tell Mrs Sheffield that we only had one of our log cabins left when she called us. She said it wouldn't be a problem."

C.C., who had just opened her mouth to argue further quickly closed it again. How convenient of Sara to leave out this small detail.

"I see," she managed, turned back around on her heel and walked outside to the Sheffields who were still waiting by the car. "You knew this would happen?" she asked, stabbing Sara's chest with her finger.

"Well, to my defence I thought you and Niles would at least have your own little hut but-"

"But apparently you thought wrong." C.C. finished for her.

"Mommy…can we go now?" Maggie whined.

"Yes, I wanna see the house." Brighton chimed in and tugged on his father's pants.

"I'm sorry, Chas, I should've told you but everything had to be arranged so quickly and I really didn't think it would be such a problem. Now the children are tired and we still have to unpack."

C.C. sighed, yearning to argue further but knowing that it was too late to change anything, on this day at least. So she grabbed her suitcase, snatched the route description out of Sara's hands and without another word started walking towards the hut she'd have to share with Niles.

It turned out to be a log cabin as well, just smaller and higher on the mountain slope, nestled in a forest clearing. By the time she reached it she was red-faced and completely out of breath.

"Didn't bring the right footwear, did you?" Niles' taunting voice suddenly sounded just behind her. How he had caught up with her so quickly was beyond her.

"I didn't expect we'd be doing any hiking today, no." she replied testily "Unlock the door?"

"Yes, my lady." He replied dryly and indicated a bow.

Then he set his suitcase down again and moved past her to the front door. The hut was dark and stuffy. A small table and two chairs had been squeezed next to the window at the front. A television was mounted in the corner and to the right there was a makeshift kitchen and a small cleaning closet. The bathroom was positioned in the northeast corner of the room and to the left of it a door led to the only other living space of the hut.

Having finished her exploration, C.C. dropped her suitcase on the double bed she had located and looked around the cramped space. It was almost impossible to move around; where she'd unpack she had yet to figure out.

"Cosy," Niles commented, leaning in the doorway.

"Don't even think about joining me in here. We are _not_ sharing a bed." She replied shortly but Niles only offered a tired smirk in return.

"It is comforting to know, Miss Babcock, that after a long trip in which _I_ lifted everybody's suitcase and _I_ drove us to the destination, you'd rather make me sleep on the floor than share your bed with a servant."

A flicker of guilt passed through C.C., but she kept her cool mask of indifference and let him continue.

"Fortunately, there is another bed in the main room. So if a bear steals in and mauls you, please try to keep your screams to a minimum."

And with that he ducked out of the room and closed the door behind him. C.C. pondered momentarily how she could've overlooked a second bed but decided she was too tired to investigate things now. All she wanted was to put the first day of this horrible vacation out of its misery.


	3. Day 2

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews, guys. This is gonna be a longer chapter but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless. Let me know what you think! :)**

Day 2:

C.C. awoke the next morning from the bright sunlight that flooded her room from both the window to her left and the one facing her. She sighed and stretched out, perfectly content for a moment until she remembered her whereabouts. She opened her eyes slowly, hesitantly, not wanting to realise that the previous day hadn't been a dream. While the view of the trees and the sunshine was beautiful, even the birds singing outside her window couldn't make up for the fact that she had been put in a rundown hut, betrayed by her best friend who obviously thought she didn't deserve more than a servant. If her mother had been around to witness her daughter's dramatic display, she probably would've been proud.

Across the thin wall from her Niles had already been awake for quite some time. Despite his fatigue of a day spent travelling, his internal clock had awoken him promptly at 5.30. At first he had struggled falling back asleep, had even contemplated switching on the TV for some distraction but in the end he hadn't been prepared to face a cranky Babcock. That encounter would come sooner or later on its own. Luckily, the perfect peace and quiet of his surroundings had enabled him to succumb to a light slumber from which he had only awoken around 8. Glancing at the clock he had pondered that the children would be awake and would probably demand breakfast but a moment later he had brushed this thought away. He was on vacation as well and he had known from the beginning that this trip would entitle more chores than first mentioned, but he had at least hoped to be provided with accommodation that matched the standard of his employers. It had been quite some time since he had felt like such a servant. Of course, a part of him knew that Sara had been in a hurry and quite desperate to get out of New York, which was why he was prepared not to go quite as hard on her as C.C. would, but on the other hand he couldn't help but feel disappointed. And that was why breakfast could wait.

Half an hour had passed since he had last glanced at the clock and he figured that his reluctant housemate would wake up any second now as well. He stretched for a moment to chase any lingering sleepiness away and then swung his legs over the side of the bed to get up. On his way to the bathroom he pulled his grey T-shirt over his head and discarded it on a nearby chair and then fished for the bag with his toiletries.

When C.C. heard the water running she sighed and decided to turn around once more and snooze for another couple of minutes. But it was no use; her body had already woken up and now it was up to the rest of her to get the memo.

"Coffee," she mumbled and climbed out of bed and then stepped outside into the larger space of the hut and towards the coffee machine.

She examined it from all angles, barely noticing that the sound of rushing water in the bathroom had stopped, and finally surmised that she would have to live with mere instant coffee. Though annoyed she knew she could count herself lucky that they had a coffee machine at all. Retrieving a cup from the counter she set it down under the machine, pressed a few buttons and then waited while the dark brown liquid came drizzling out.

A moment later the door to the bathroom opened and Niles emerged, wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still moist and dishevelled.

"Am I not spared anything?" C.C. grimaced, hurriedly shifting her glance back to her coffee cup.

"I do apologise if the sight of bare skin upsets you, Miss Babcock." He drawled sarcastically "But this is not your hut, it's ours and I needed a shower so I'm afraid you'll have to deal with it."

"Next time you could get dressed _in_ the bathroom instead of parading nakedly through the house."

"I am hardly naked," he replied, emphasising his point by lifting his towel ever so slightly.

C.C. groaned and rolled her eyes.

"How would you like it if I walked around here like that?" she challenged but Niles only grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

"By all means, Miss Babcock, don't let me stop you."

For a brief moment she contemplated throwing hot coffee at him but then she came to the conclusion that the drink was much too important to be wasted like that. Muttering and cursing incoherently she picked up the cup and withdrew back to the safety of her separate room.

* * *

When she had emptied the cup, there was a knock on the door. Not waiting for her response, Niles opened the door, fully dressed this time, and peeked his head in.

"I am going to get breakfast preparations on the way now." He announced and she nodded, turning her attention back to the book that lay propped up against her knees.

Rolling his eyes at her dismissive attitude he added dryly: "I just thought I'd let you know so you can make your way over to the other cabin. Wouldn't want you to get cranky because you haven't had anything to eat."

She nodded again and waved him away. Under no circumstances would she be joining the family for breakfast. No, Sara needed to feel that she wasn't happy with her.

"Alright, suit yourself." Niles shrugged and disappeared again.

A moment later she heard the front door fall shut. Sighing, she set the book aside and scrambled out of bed again. Her stomach was already constricting painfully in hunger, with lack of food the previous day and no breakfast as of yet. But C.C. figured that it couldn't be too difficult finding something edible. After all, there were various people around who all needed to eat something at some point. And so, encouraged by that thought she quickly went to shower, then dressed and left the hut as well.

The sun was shining through the trees as she was making her way down the moss covered path and to the main reception building of the ranch. A light breeze was caressing her hair and for the first time, C.C. would've felt some sense of appreciation if her stomach hadn't rumbled with hunger again right that second. Placing a hand on her belly she continued walking until she reached the large cedar cabin. It looked strangely unoccupied but she rapped her knuckles against the wood impatiently nonetheless. After waiting for several minutes and repeating the process several times someone finally emerged and answered the door.

"Yes, Ma'am, how may I help you?"

It was the same old man she had encountered the previous day.

"I was hoping to find some breakfast," she explained.

"Yes, of course," he smiled and leaned his arms on the counter of the reception area "if you follow the highway down the way you came from yesterday, you'll find a lodge on the right hand side that provides breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"At the highway?" C.C. frowned "So I'll need a car?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he confirmed, smiling his lazy smile once more "it's about half an hour away and unless you fancy a hike…"

The urge to tell _him _to take a hike was strong, but she managed to resist somehow.

"You don't offer breakfast here?" she asked instead, forcing a friendly and polite smile.

"I'm afraid not. All of our cabins are fitted with kitchens so we rely on our guests to provide for themselves."

Her thoughts instantly wandered to the small cabin she was sharing with Niles and their luxurious kitchen counter that consisted of a coffee machine and a water cooker. But then their hut wasn't one of the proper cabins either.

"Great, thank you." She pressed out through gritted teeth and walked back outside.

Whether or not she liked it, she'd have to spend mealtimes with the Sheffields unless she fancied a walk down to the lodge the old man had mentioned. Sighing and with growing hunger she started walking towards the Sheffields' cabin. When she had almost reached it a car suddenly appeared behind her, honking noisily and enveloping her in a cloud of dust from the road. C.C. coughed and cursed and grew even more annoyed when she saw that it was Niles who emerged from the car.

"You couldn't have slowed down?" she asked, stepping closer.

"I was going as fast as the limit suggested." He replied, giving her an innocent smile.

When he saw that she wasn't going to do more than glare at him and growl he clicked the trunk open and lifted several shopping bags out.

"What are you making?" she asked casually, glancing repeatedly at the groceries, however.

"I thought you weren't all that interested?" he asked, a slow smirk stealing onto his face.

"I wasn't," she said and then hurriedly amended "I'm still not. But there's nowhere else I could get food from, it turns out. So don't flatter yourself, your meals aren't that great. Right now I'm so hungry I'd even steal food from the dumpster."

"Aww don't worry," he grinned at her in passing "you can taste that home cooking of yours again soon."

C.C. produced another growl and momentarily contemplated slamming the trunk door down on his hand but in the end waited until he had moved away and closed it and then followed him up the path to the Sheffields' luxurious cabin. The closer they got the louder the screams and whoops of the children inside became and C.C. wondered if she wouldn't have been better off hiking down to the lodge. Before they had even managed to knock, the front door was ripped open and the two children greeted them with shouts of "Niles!Niles!"

"There you are, old man." Max appeared in the corridor, cradling baby Grace against his chest "The children have been asking for breakfast for a while now."

"Excuse the delay, Sir, but I was under the impression that this was supposed to be a vacation for me as well." Niles replied smoothly and dryly "Have you forgotten to inform me of any changes?"

"No, old man, of course not. I was simply…" Maxwell mumbled in return, his words becoming less and less comprehensible until he finally cleared his throat. "The kitchen's that way."

Gracie squealed loudly at this announcement as if she'd understood what the adults were talking about. Niles smiled at her and then lifted the bags off the floor again and continued towards the kitchen. C.C. only nodded at Max in the meantime and squeezed herself past the children, her hands lifted up in the air as if she could catch a deadly virus if she touched one of them. Once she had located the living room she sank down on the couch with a deep sigh until her butt came in contact with something pointy which turned out to be the heeled foot of a Barbie doll. Wearing a piqued look she removed it from under her and tossed it over to the big pile of toys on the carpet.

* * *

In the meantime Niles was unloading the groceries on the kitchen counter much to Sara's delight.

"Did you have to drive far?" she asked, opening the fridge and helping him shift the items into it.

"About half an hour," he shrugged "I still bought more than necessary to keep the trips to the store to a minimum."

"Good thinking," Sara nodded with a smile.

"But it does mean," Niles continued "that the children will have to eat what I serve them. No extra trips for ice cream or candy, alright?"

Sara sighed a bit, knowing that this would be causing issues sooner or later and that she'd have to handle the whining but she also knew that Niles was right. So she nodded in agreement and then quickly changed the topic. "How was Chas this morning?"

"A perfect delight after a good night's sleep in our luxury cabin." He replied dryly and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I thought so." Sara sighed "But there's nothing I could do and I really didn't expect the hut to be so little and I couldn't have known that you two would have to share."

Niles lifted his hand to interrupt her. "It's not me you'll have to convince."

"I know but what's the likelihood of Chas coming to talk to me?" Sara asked.

"Well, the beast needs feeding." Niles pointed out with a grin.

"She came with you?" Sara asked surprised.

"Yes," he shrugged, bending down to search the drawers for cooking utensils "she's somewhere around the house."

"Would you mind if I went looking for her?"

"No, go ahead." He replied, looking up at her from his crouching position "The quieter it is in the kitchen, the better."

"Okay okay, I get the hint." Sara said and lifted her hands while laughing "Call us when breakfast is ready."

Turning around she then walked back out into the corridor and pondered which direction to go. The most likely option was the living room and so she steered her steps towards it. And sure enough, she found her friend sitting there on the couch wearing a sour expression.

"Good morning," she greeted her happily but the smile vanished from her face when C.C.'s expression only darkened upon hearing her voice. "Are you really still mad at me?" she then asked, sinking down next to her on the couch.

"I am sleeping in a hut." C.C. reminded her pointedly.

"And you have to share it with a servant, yes yes." Sara added in the same tone "You make it sound as if I had shoved you into the darkest pit of hell. When in truth you're still living comfortably. You have electricity, warm water."

"Am I supposed to be thankful for that?" C.C. questioned dryly, arching an eyebrow.

"No but…stop being so huffy. The situation is not going to improve so enjoy your vacation and join us later, alright? We're going to take a guided hike in the mountains."

"Sara?" C.C. sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose "I'd sooner deal with the smelly diapers of your baby than join you and the other two brats on some nature walk."

Sara stood up again, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Suit yourself," she said icily "and if you ever talk about my children like that again I'll be sure to have your accommodation downgraded even further."

After this exchange breakfast was a relatively frosty affair. The children didn't seem to notice and continued chattering undeterred but Maxwell and Niles certainly learned quickly that the mood between the two blondes seemed to have deteriorated further. The minute C.C.'s appetite had been satisfied she excused herself and left the table. She didn't know if Niles would join the Sheffields on their hike but he'd have his hands full with serving the family and doing the washing up so she'd definitely have some time to get some work done.

* * *

Unearthing her laptop from a pile of documents and other items, she settled down on her bed surrounded by the three scripts she had chosen so far. While her laptop gently rumbled to life, C.C. rifled through her notes to remind herself how far she had gotten. Finding the relevant place, she placed a pen between the pages as a bookmark and then slid the mouse over to the right icon to open her document.

The silence in the hut only broken occasionally by the sound of birds chirping and the wind brushing through the trees proved to be the perfect working atmosphere. Never before had she been able to concentrate quite as well as she did in that moment. That was until the opening and closing of the front door signalled the arrival of her unwanted roommate.

"Honey I'm home!" he called and she rolled her eyes, refusing to answer.

But of course that didn't stop him from pestering her further.

"The Sheffields just left with their guide so I'm all yours." He grinned.

C.C. sighed deeply and slowly turned her head to look at him.

"I am working." Every word was uttered slowly and precisely, letting him feel just how little patience she had left.

But Niles easily shrugged it off. "I'll go for a walk as well…you know, seeing as it's our _holiday._"

He emphasised the last word so much that C.C. gave him a challenging look that seemed to ask "Really?". Niles flashed a smile in return and then stepped back out into his room to fill a backpack with a couple of refreshments for his walk.

When he returned, however, the relative calm in the house was broken. What little furniture had been in his room was moved all around, cushions strewn across the floor. Dropping his backpack by the door Niles frowned and followed the trail of destruction to C.C.'s room where the nightstand had been moved as well and the bed was now placed right in the middle of the room rather than pushed against the wall.

"Decided to do a little remodelling?" he asked dryly.

"No," C.C. growled, shifting her laptop off her lap and onto the bed "the stupid thing ran out of battery before I had saved the document and this ridiculous socket," she glared at it as if she could actually cause it to flinch in fear "would not work. So I tried that one," she paused again to point to the socket behind her nightstand "but nothing. So finally I had to move to your room until I eventually discovered one that would work. I've been trying to recover some of the information since then."

To her annoyance the serious look slipped off Niles' face in an instant as he heartily began to laugh.

"It's not funny!" she muttered.

"Actually, it is." He replied, still laughing amused "You're clearly being punished for working when you should be enjoying some time off."

"Well, someone _has_ to work. You don't see Maxwell doing anything, do you?"

"No, he finally seems to have grasped the concept of a vacation." Niles said and C.C. opened her mouth to tell him about her observation in the office but then decided to keep the information to herself for now.

"We're changing rooms by the way," was what she said instead.

"No, we're not." Niles grinned.

"Oh why not? You know I need that damn socket to do my work."

"Exactly," he nodded "besides, yesterday you were so eager to have this room for yourself. I'd never let you sleep on a bed that's only fit for a servant, Miss Babcock."

"Oh you…" she growled, balling her hands.

"There's also a football game on tonight that I wouldn't wanna miss." He added cheekily and flashing another grin he ducked out of the room just before her book hit the door.

Settling down on his bed and sorting out the mess she'd made he was surprised that she hadn't emerged yet in his room to force him to give up his bed after all. As a matter of fact it took her at least half an hour before she appeared, wrapped in a big, bulky sweater with her short hair tied back in a little ponytail.

"Don't tell me you're venturing out into the wild." He commented, feigning a gasp.

"Well, you leave me no other choice." She replied grumpily "I've maxed out the battery again and there's nothing else for me to do."

"Oh poor you," he stuck out his bottom lip in a mock-pout "having to relax in your vacation."

"Just shut up," she muttered and trudged to the door.

"The Sheffields are having a campfire with some dinner I've prepared for them if you're hungry." He called after her and then relaxed against the pillows with a satisfied smile when she slammed the door shut.

C.C. didn't want to spend any time with Sara and her noisy family. But unfortunately, she was rather hungry and bored so reluctantly she steered her steps towards the cabin the Sheffields occupied. She could already hear their voices drifting to her from behind the hut, singing and laughing and for a moment she stopped in her tracks.

She suddenly remembered the one time her family had gone on a similar trip, rather than flying out to their various beach houses. Her father had insisted that his three children needed to experience something basic, something that didn't include any luxury. But the peace hadn't lasted long. Bored and unhappy with her surroundings B.B. Babcock had taken one too many drinks and started a noisy row with her husband while the only guy who had shown any interest in C.C. had ended up with her younger sister D.D.

C.C. opened her eyes again and shook her head as if to chase the thoughts away. No wonder such display of happy family life was making her a little queasy. Nonetheless she forced herself to walk around the house and approach the Sheffields.

"Niles told me he'd left some food here," she voiced, remaining stiffly in the background while all 4 pairs of eyes shifted towards her.

"He did," Sara nodded and pointed to a log "have a seat."

C.C. did so and was quickly provided with a basket full of food.

"Would you like wine or whiskey?" Maxwell asked, while she was fishing for her preferred meal.

"Wine," she replied "keep the Whiskey for later."

He chuckled and stood up and walked into the house to get her a glass, followed by his two oldest children who were begging for some chocolate. Aware that she was alone with Sara for the first time since their argument this morning C.C. took a bite from her tuna sandwich and pondered how to fill the awkward silence.

"How was your hike?" she eventually asked.

The tension gradually eased from Sara's body as she launched into a big speech about the events of the day and the wildlife sightings they had encountered. Somewhat glad that their friendship seemed to have been restored she was glad when Maxwell returned and supplied her with a glass of wine. She downed it easily and swiftly, licking her lips and struggling not to ask for another one. Perhaps once the children had been put to sleep she'd be able to have a refill. If she wanted to survive this vacation, it seemed, she'd definitely need more alcohol. For the time being, however, she busied herself developing schemes to get Maxwell to work on that stash of papers he had taken along as well.


	4. Day 3

**A/N: I'm glad a few of you seem to be enjoying this :) Here's the next installment. Let me know what you think :)**

Day 3:

The next day at breakfast the Sheffields announced that the heat wave they'd been trying to avoid was supposed to hit Montana as well. The forecast nor the ranch owners had been able to tell them which temperatures that would mean for them but they had decided to take no chances nonetheless and had booked a helicopter flight higher into the mountains. C.C., already scared on an average passenger aircraft knew that there'd be no way in hell that she would set foot into a helicopter and had declined as politely as possible to keep the peace with Sara intact. To her surprise Niles had also declined a minute later.

So after breakfast she had left the Sheffields behind to prepare for their adventure and Niles to deal with his everyday exciting chores and had made her way back over to her own hut. How bad could a heat wave really be? They were in the mountains for God's sake.

C.C. figured that while she had the advantage she would claim Niles' bed near the only functioning socket as her own and finish what she had been working on. Then she'd just have to find a way for Maxwell to visit her so they could discuss her progress and decide what still needed to be done to prepare for their upcoming season. Content with this plan C.C. unlocked the hut, headed straight for her bedroom, retrieved the laptop and then plopped down on Niles' bed with a satisfied sigh. While the computer was powering up C.C. shifted around in the bed, arranging the pillows as well until she was comfortable. His scent was already beginning to cling to them. How C.C. knew this she was eager to avoid addressing. Instead she picked the laptop back up and started working.

Just like the previous day she made good progress until Niles' steps could be heard outside. Trying to come up with a distraction for him she didn't notice at first that he wasn't alone. But finally she spotted the baby in his arms.

"What is _that?"_ she asked testily, arching an eyebrow.

"It's a baby. Miss Grace to be precise." He answered, shifting the baby slightly and giving her a smirk.

Of course she should've known that he wouldn't give her a decent answer.

"I can see that," she growled.

"Then why ask?" he mimicked her by raising an eyebrow as well.

"Because she isn't supposed to be here!" C.C. snarled in return "Don't babies need their mothers?"

"Oh look what insight to maternal things you possess," he chuckled "yes, I'm sure Mrs Sheffield would've loved to have taken Miss Grace along but she's too young for the helicopter flight."

"So you're stuck with baby duty?"

"Technically _we're_ stuck with baby duty," he corrected her, grinning broadly again.

"We?" C.C. exclaimed "I'm not touching her!"

"Did you hear that?" Niles mumbled against Gracie's cheek "You got lucky this time."

C.C. rolled her eyes and then glanced somewhat guiltily at her laptop. "I am trying to work here. Can't you take her somewhere else?"

"No," Niles grinned and crouched down to place the baby onto the floor "we're going to stay right here and play a little, aren't we, Miss Grace?"

Imitating his facial expression the baby let out a loud, delighted squeal and clapped her little hands together. Already knowing the answer C.C. decided to ask in anyway. "Can't you at least take her into my room?"

"Nope," he grinned at her over his shoulder and started producing baby toys from the bag he'd been carrying as well "you sneak into my bed, that's your business. But you can't expect me to move into your room. Besides, here we have much more space."

Taking a deep breath C.C. tried to keep calm and muster all her focus skills. It was only a baby and a butler after all, not like the other two brats were running around as well, how bad could it be? A couple of minutes later she wished she wouldn't have asked herself that question. Grace was banging her toys on the wooden floor, squealing loudly while Niles only seemed to encourage her. She was sure that he was handing her all the toys that would produce the most noise. Nonetheless C.C. pushed on. It felt as if she managed to write five words every ten minutes but at least she was accomplishing something.

* * *

In the end it was the weather that stopped her. It was an hour after lunch and the baby was peacefully asleep in her room when the heat wave hit. Their hut seemed to transform into a sauna and C.C. experienced the familiar sensation of sweat trickling down her back. Within minutes the added heat of the laptop became unbearable and so she was forced to shut down the machine and take a break from her work.

"Of course only a heat wave could melt the ice queen enough to abandon her regime." Niles quipped from the other side of the room.

"I am only human," she replied with a shrug and Niles grinned.

"Isn't that sweet? Cruella thinks she's a real girl."

"Niles, I swear to God if you don't shut up right this second I will ram this rattle up your a-"

She broke off and they both tilted their heads in the direction of the bedroom from where soft cries could be heard.

"Oh good job, Babcock," Niles muttered, rising to his feet with a sigh "you woke up the baby."

"Me?" C.C. exclaimed, doing the same and following him halfway to the bedroom "You're the one who started insulting me!"

But Niles hardly acknowledged her. Instead he leaned over the little crib that he had just managed to squeeze into the room next to her bed and smiled at Gracie."Hey little girl, what's wrong? Did we wake you?"

The baby huffed and puffed, her cheeks turning rosier by the second. Niles sighed again and rolled up his sleeves.

"No need to be so angry," he then continued, trying to keep his tone light and happy "just go back to sleep."

"Maybe she's feeling warm as well," C.C. commented nonchalantly, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

For a second Niles stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at her as if she'd grown two heads.

"What?" she frowned, crossing her arms defensively in front of her chest.

"You might actually have a point," he conceded.

"Gee, dustmop," she replied dryly "stranger things have happened."

"Well not really," he tossed out with a grin "you knowing anything about a baby's well-being is shocking."

Ignoring the sting that this comment left, C.C. impatiently drummed her fingers against the frame of the door. "So what do we do to cool her down? Because I don't suppose she'll shut up on her own."

"We could give her a cool bath or we could walk to the lake and go for a swim there? Sara did bring some floaties for her…"

"You really think it's wise to hike to some lake in this heat?" C.C. challenged, arching an eyebrow.

"Did I ever mention the word "hike"?" he asked in return "It's about ten minutes away from here and it's surrounded by trees so I'm sure we could find a nice place in the shadow."

"Alright," C.C. agreed a bit uncertainly "I'll leave you to handle all the baby stuff while I get ready."

And with that she squeezed past him and the fussing baby and made her way to her suitcase that was perched in the corner of the room. From it she extracted her bathing suit and a towel, a pair of shorts and a lighter top. Then she moved past Niles again and into the bathroom to change.

"Strange woman," Niles told Grace with a smile and then picked her up. "Well, shall we get rid of these clothes first?" he then asked her and gently removed the onesie she was wearing until she was left in her diapers. "There, that's much better already, isn't it?" He paused for a moment and sniffed the air and then groaned in annoyance and closed his eyes. "Spoke too soon…"

Using a towel he transformed C.C.'s bed into a changing table and quickly removed the dirty diaper and replaced it with a new one. Finally satisfied with the result, he lifted the baby back up into his arms and walked over to the kitchen to dispose of the diaper. Then he began collecting all the items they'd be needing, a task made awkward by the fact that he only had one hand available. So when C.C. emerged again from the bathroom, her old clothes neatly folded over her elbow he shoved Gracie into her arms with a broad grin. For a moment C.C. struggled to hold the wiggling baby properly and shot him a glare.

"What am I supposed to do with her?" she asked.

"For God's sake, Babcock, just hold her for five minutes so I can finish packing and change as well."

C.C. muttered a curse that made the baby squeal and then moved to one of the chairs and sat down.

"Sit," she instructed as if she was addressing a dog and holding Gracie now only with one hand, she carefully extracted her clothes and hung them up over the edge of another chair.

"Don't drop her," Niles commented in passing and added a blanket and several bottles to the bag he had prepared.

"You just focus on getting ready," C.C. snapped back and used her free hand to shoo him away.

Glancing worriedly into their direction once more, Niles then grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and disappeared into the bathroom to change as well. When he returned C.C. didn't even bother stifling a laugh.

"You look ridiculous," she stated soberly, eyeing him from head to toe.

Clad in a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khaki pants whose colours clashed terribly he looked like he was a tourist on the Bahamas rather than a butler accompanying his employers to a rustic vacation in the mountains.

"At least I've got style." He replied confidently and hoisted the bag he had previously packed up and over his shoulder.

C.C. snorted and awkwardly lifted the baby up in her arms as well while rising to her feet.

"The only thing that's missing are some white socks for those sandals." She then grinned and walked outside.

Niles grumbled something and trudged after her. When they had left their hut behind, he briefly touched her elbow and started leading her down the path to the lake. The heat was becoming unbearable although they had only taken a few steps and C.C. was relieved to eventually spot the lake in the distance. She'd been starting to doubt if Niles' promised ten minutes had just been another prank. Although she was glad to find that he had been serious this time the walk was still almost proving to be too much.

Gracie had begun thrashing around in her arms so that C.C. was forced to grasp her quite firmly against her chest so that when they finally settled down in the shade of a tree near the lake the heat of her chubby little body had made C.C.'s own one uncomfortable sticky with sweat. She longed to peel the unnecessary layers of clothes off herself but wasn't prepared to expose herself to Niles in her bathing suit just yet, as she'd make too easy of a target for his insults. But for now he was too busy setting up camp so to speak.

Having laid out the blanket for C.C. and Grace to sit on he produced a little bucket from the bag and their bottles of water, walked down to the edge of the lake and placed the bucket into the water. C.C. would've happily acknowledged this good idea, had it not been Niles who'd come up with it. Instead she produced some hygienic wipes out of her own bag and started cleaning the skin the baby had been pressed against.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Babcock, stop acting so ridiculous." Niles scolded her, when he returned and plopped down on the blanket next to them.

"Ridiculous?" C.C. asked, arching an eyebrow "Do you know how many germs a baby can carry? This vacation is awful enough without a bout of diarrhoea."

"Let's pray you'll never have children." Niles intersected dryly and kicked off his sandals.

"Certainly not if I can help it," she agreed and lay down on the blanket.

Through the prickly branches above her of the pine trees she could make out hints of the sky, clear blue, interspersed with thin swirls of white. She smiled a little to herself and listening to the sounds the baby was making, she slowly began to snooze. That was until something warm and sandy hit her in the face with full force. Spluttering she sat up again, furiously wiping at her face.

"Niles…" she growled, trying to glare at him but in truth she managed nothing more than something that could've been called deranged blinking at best.

Whatever had hit her was also partially stuck in her eyes and rubbing away at it only made the burning sensation stronger. Niles, in the meantime, chuckled and lifted his hands up. "It wasn't me."

She would never have believed him, had she not just in that moment noticed baby Grace scooping up a handful of forest soil. Pulling herself into a crouching position she towered over the baby and snarled in her lowest, most threatening voice "Don't even think about it."

Gracie's bright blue eyes filled with tears and at the same time her lips protruded into a big pout.

"Oh spare me the tears," C.C. muttered and stood up fully now "throwing dirt at people is not ok. Depends who you're talking to of course…" she then added with a dark look at Niles who had lifted the baby into his arms to sooth her.

Ignoring the scolding look she earned in return, she pulled her top over her head and slipped out of her shorts and then made her way down to the lake where she dove into the water.

"There," Niles mumbled softly against Gracie's cheek, while bobbing her up and down on his knee "the mean dragon has disappeared…" he paused momentarily to tilt his head at an angle that allowed him to see C.C.'s butt just before it disappeared beneath the water surface as well "and what a way to go…"

The baby blinked and gave him a hesitant smile, as if unsure of the appropriate reaction. Chuckling to himself, Niles placed her back on the blanket and pulled the bag closer.

"Do you want your toys?" he then asked with a big smile. Gracie clapped her hands excitedly and eagerly embraced all the toys he playfully tossed at her.

C.C. was enjoying the cool water in the meantime. She liked the way it brought her temperature down to a more comfortable level again and that it washed the last remainder of dirt out of her eyes. Moments like this showed her just how little patience she had for children. How could such behaviour be excused? And in what universe could it be deemed "adorable"?

C.C. scoffed and rolled her eyes and continued swimming with long strokes through the lake. The closer she came to the shore and the closer Niles and Gracie shifted into view again, the more difficult it became to avert her eyes. She didn't want either of the two to think that their behaviour was forgiven or forgotten but it was rather tricky not to smile when Niles was looking like such a natural with the baby. When her feet made contact with the sandy edge of the lake she stopped paddling and just continued to watch them. Gracie looked undeniably comfortable and happy and Niles had a twinkle of warmth in his eyes as well that made C.C. feel funny in a way she didn't wish to examine further. Instead she tried to find her footing again and climbed out of the lake. Niles' eyes quickly shifted towards her, gazing at her intensely while she was towelling herself dry.

"Do you mind?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh don't flatter yourself," he replied, a slow smirk appearing on his face that indicated he'd been setting her up again "I'm just surprised that you didn't melt."

Doing the only thing that came to mind, C.C. crouched down, scooped up a handful of soil and flung it at his face. The gleeful squeals of baby Grace resounded through the forest.

* * *

They returned to their hut later that day when Grace had been fed.

"The Sheffields should be home by now," Niles announced, setting the bag down on the floor "I'll take her back to the cabin, it's past her bedtime already in anyway."

C.C. nodded in acknowledgment and slipped into her bedroom to drop off her things and to retrieve her toiletries.

"Off you go," she then said when she found Niles and Grace still in the main room upon her return.

"Say "goodnight, witch"!" he mumbled against Gracie's temple with a grin and then turned around and left the house, the baby flapping her hands around as if she had actually understood him.

Seeing this C.C. chuckled despite herself but quickly shook her head and picked up a fresh towel. With Niles gone for a while this would be the perfect moment to take a long shower and wash the sweat and the lake water off her body. Humming to herself she peeled the sun-dried bikini off and tossed it into a corner of the room before stepping into the shower. The warm water was surprisingly enjoyable after such a hot day and C.C. revelled in the feeling, taking her time to shampoo her hair and scrub every inch of her body. When she was done she dried her hair a bit and then loosely wrapped a towel around her body, picked up her discarded swimsuit and stepped outside. Just then she heard the front door close and looked up in time to make eye contact with Niles. Once the surprise had worn off she could see his gaze flickering over her body, lingering longer at certain places she was glad to have covered with the towel. Nonetheless she felt herself growing warm under his scrutiny.

"I thought you were taking Gracie back to the Sheffields," she managed lamely and Niles forced his eyes back to her face.

"I did," he nodded "Sara thanked me and took her to bed."

"You should've been more specific then," C.C. criticised with what she was hoping to pass off as a haughty tone "if I'd known you'd be back so soon I would've changed into my pyjamas in the bathroom."

"In that case I am glad my information wasn't specific enough, Miss Babcock." He commented cheekily and allowed his eyes to sweep over her body one last time.

"Pervert," she growled, though it remained unclear if her low tone was due to anger or secret satisfaction.

As it was, Niles saw no reason to contradict and chuckling to himself he toed off his shoes and settled down on his bed. When he heard her bedroom door close softly behind her he released the sigh he had been holding and with a dreamy smile closed his eyes, recalling the images he had just seen. Sharing a hut with her definitely had its advantages.


	5. Day 4

**A/N: Again, I am so glad that you seem to like the story so far. :) Here's the next chapter and there will be one more afterwards and that's it...unless I will still change my mind and add a small epilogue. lol R&R please! :)**

Day 4:

The faint rumble of thunder awoke C.C. in the early hours of the morning. Not fully awake yet she struggled for a moment to remember her location. Her head felt fuzzy and her body still warm and heavy from sleep and she savoured the last seconds of this wonderful slumbering state. Not long after, the clouds broke open and rain started to pour down on the little hut, far more audible than it could ever have been at her penthouse or the Sheffield mansion. She closed her eyes and listened but eventually gave in to her craving for a nice hot cup of tea. Anywhere else she might've been hard-pressed to find some, coffee being the far more likely option but she was counting on Niles' British desire for tea in the morning.

Slowly she pushed the heavy blankets off her and instantly shivered, scarcely dressed as she was in only her nightgown. And yet the cold wasn't altogether unpleasant. As a matter of fact it added to the moodiness the weather had created, one that C.C. secretly quite enjoyed, especially if she wasn't forced to leave the house. Nonetheless she felt strangely exposed only dressed like that and very much aware that she was alone in the house with Niles.

C.C., although self-conscious, was never really afraid of being alone with a man but Niles was different. The effect he had on her was two-fold. On one hand she was somewhat afraid of baring too much of herself, lest it only give him more ammunition for insults. And on the other hand all the insults aside there was a kind of passion lurking under the surface that C.C. was eager and yet unwilling to explore. So when she spotted a thin blanket draped over the back of a chair next to Niles' bed she didn't hesitate to pick it up and wrap it around her shoulders.

Then she cast a glance over to the kettle and the mug next to it filled with various sachets, none of which looked like teabags. Frowning she stepped closer and began flicking through them but unfortunately her first observation had been right. There were no teabags lying around. Disappointed and to a certain extent disbelieving she approached his bed again and poked him twice roughly in the side.

"What?" he grumbled and wiggled away and out of her reach.

"I want a tea." She stated firmly.

"Well, make yourself one." He muttered and tugged the blanket up over his shoulders.

"I would, except there are no teabags."

There was a silence for a moment that had C.C. pondering if he had fallen asleep again but just when she moved her hand to poke him once more he spoke. "Must've left them at the Sheffields. Go and fetch like a good girl!"

C.C. muttered a curse and stood up straighter again. For a split-second she actually contemplated getting dressed and heading over to their cabin to get the tea she was still desperately craving but then she noticed the slight smirk on his face.

"You're lying," she growled, narrowing her eyes.

"Awww…damn," he grinned, rolling on his back to look at her "just when you were so close to jogging through the rain."

His eyes flickered once up and down her body and then focused on her face again.

"Too bad you couldn't hide your smugness," she commented with a grin and drew the blanket closer around herself "so where _is_ the tea?"

Lazily Niles pointed to his nightstand and stretched his tired limbs.

"Really?" she asked, arching an eyebrow while retrieving the little box "What is this? Your secret stash?"

"Mr Sheffield enjoys a selection of teas," he responded formally "and as you may have noticed there is no cabinet space under the counter."

C.C. hummed without commenting and walked back to the other side of the room where she put the kettle on and prepared herself a mug.

"Yes, Miss Babcock, I would love some Earl Grey tea, please." Niles called mockingly from his place in the bed and C.C. chuckled but rolled her eyes.

"If anything you should be making _me_ some tea," she pointed out, reaching for a second mug nonetheless "after all, you're the butler here."

"And don't you let me forget it," Niles commented dryly.

C.C. hummed and busied herself pouring the hot water on top of their teabags and then grasped a sugar sachet. "You want some?"

"Yes, one will be enough." He nodded "I'd ask for milk but for that you would actually have to walk to the Sheffields and I don't suppose you'd-"

"No chance," she interrupted him and gave the dark liquid a quick stir "this is as good as it's gonna get."

"Do you say that to all your men?" he challenged with a boyish grin.

"No, I'd never dream of stealing your line." She tossed out in return and was satisfied to hear him chuckle.

With the tea prepared she handed him his mug and then picked up her own, turning to head back to her room.

"Come on, Babcock, don't be such a loner. We're both awake. Why don't you practise your social skills? We both know that they can use improving." He stopped her in her tracks, certain that she would take the bait.

"Some people are just worth ignoring," she commented but steered her steps towards his bed nonetheless.

Setting the mug down on his nightstand she lifted his blanket and slipped under it, making sure that their bare skin wouldn't come in contact. Then she picked her tea back up again and took a small sip.

"So which flavour from Mr Sheffield's great selection did you choose?"

C.C. hummed and blew on her tea to cool it. "Strawberry and mango."

"What exotic tastes you have, Miss Babcock." He commented, shooting her an amused side glance.

"Are you disappointed now because I favour more exciting flavours over a mundane old Earl Grey tea?" she challenged, arching an eyebrow at him.

"True," he hummed "Earl Grey might be boring but there's a reason why he's been the people's favourite for years. Besides, you simply can't beat the bitter taste mixed with just the right amount of sweetness as it dissolves on your tongue."

Throughout this speech Niles had leaned in closer, setting the mug down on the nightstand to her left, his words brushing over her skin in passing. C.C. was smart enough to realise that he was flirting with her but she didn't know just how to respond. There'd been lingering glances between them in the past, innuendos and hints but she wasn't used to him being quite as direct as he had been in the past two days. The result was as thrilling and unnerving as only Niles could make it. Unsure if mirroring his direct approach would lead her straight into a trap of one of his pranks yet unwilling to let the electrifying atmosphere fade away that had developed around them since they had started this particular conversation, C.C. bought herself more time by blowing on her tea yet again and taking a sip.

"Some women aren't looking for bitter _or_ sweet, you know?" she pointed out eventually.

"And you certainly can't be compared to any given woman on the street." He agreed and she tilted her head in his direction, unsure if his comment was meant more teasingly than appreciatively. But his expression was her uncertainty he shifted closer and said in a quiet but intense voice: "I'm sure I could satisfy any of the tastes you might be in the mood for, Miss Babcock."

At this statement a shiver ran through her entire body and she had to break eye contact for a moment and let her lids fall shut. When she opened them again he was still gazing at her with the same intensity.

"Have I made you shy now?" he asked, the teasing lightness of his tone more a caress than anything else.

C.C. opened her mouth to respond; she wanted to give a particularly witty and clever answer that would show him that his actions had no power over her, but her mind drew solely blanks. Niles, on the other hand, seemed to relish in her sudden silence. He had witnessed her awkward giggles when men had complimented her before, behaviour that proved that she wasn't nearly as confident as she could pretend to be. But he had never been the one to cause this. Anger, frustration, fury and sometimes even begrudging approval or pride, sure, but not this. But it was yet another facet that made her more appealing to him.

Niles knew he had to act fast. It wouldn't take her long to find the ground under her feet again and when that happened he knew that she'd push him away harder than ever before, just because he had managed to put her in this position in the first place. So making use of his newly found more powerful role, he gently removed the teacup from her hands and placed it on the nightstand next to his. Then he shifted another inch closer and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Over the sound of the rain that kept pounding down on the roof he could barely hear her sharp intake of breath but he knew nonetheless that it was there. Finally, still holding the side of her face cupped in the palm of his hand he leaned in until their noses were touching. C.C.'s eyes fluttered closed and Niles' would've almost followed suit, had he not forced himself to keep watching her. Gently, he tilted her chin up and allowed his lips to brush over hers. The touch was so light and teasing that a low groan tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Craving to taste her again he leaned in once more but before their lips had a chance to meet a loud knocking tore them apart.

Like a startled cat C.C. jumped out of his arms, her eyes wide and her chest rising and falling rapidly. Annoyed, Niles cursed whoever had chosen this moment to interrupt them, slipped out of bed and opened the door. Maxwell, of course.

"Good morning, old man." The other Brit stammered, clearly made nervous by his butler's cranky expression "I hope I didn't wake you. Sara sent me to catch you before you drove down to the store. Since the weather is looking so terrible, she was wondering if you would mind not only preparing breakfast for us but also leaving something at the cabin for us for lunch time and snacks as it is probable we'll be stuck in there the whole day."

"So she expects me to drive to the store in this weather, does she?" Niles asked, getting more annoyed by the second.

"If you wouldn't mind," Maxwell said nervously and then added with a shaky chuckle "Oh hello C.C., I didn't see you there."

Niles looked over his shoulder to see that she had come to sit on one of the chairs at the table, clutching her mug. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked determined not to meet his eyes. He knew that it would be best if he stuck around so they could talk about what had almost happened but couldn't come up with a decent enough reason to refuse his employer.

As if noticing that his butler was looking for a way out, Maxwell offered: "I'll accompany you, old man. What do you say?"

Well, what was he to say?

"Certainly, Sir. I'll just be a minute."

And with a deep sigh he collected his clothes and toiletries and trotted to the bathroom to get washed and changed.

While he was gone C.C. and Maxwell were enveloped in an awkward silence. C.C. was struggling to understand what had almost transpired between her and Niles and Maxwell couldn't shake the feeling of having interrupted a rather private moment if his butler's annoyance was any indication.

"Terrible weather," he nervously stated the obvious and stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Yes," C.C. agreed absent-mindedly and then realised that it was her turn to make conversation now "could I maybe see you after breakfast? Privately?"

To her surprise Maxwell grew pale all of a sudden. As keen as he was to find out if anything had happened between his secretary and his butler, he was afraid that he would be asked for relationship advice. An area his wife was a much better person to seek out.

"Yes, of course," he agreed however, knowing that it would be rude to deny her "we can go to my office…I uh…I mean a guestroom."

The atmosphere in the tiny hut turned even more uncomfortable.

"Well, I hear Niles is almost done," Maxwell spoke again when the sounds of the shower had subsided "I better go and get my coat and wait for him at the car."

"Sure," C.C. nodded and withdrew into the safety of her separate room once the door had gone shut behind him, hoping that this would spare her a conversation with Niles.

* * *

They all assembled again at the Sheffields' cabin for breakfast. As promised, Niles had cooked up a storm, with half the items still in the oven or cooling off on the counter, to be consumed later on that day. The hearty English breakfast consisting of sausages, bacon, tomatoes, fried mushrooms and egg was the perfect nourishment on a miserable day like this and C.C. would've been able to savour it more if it hadn't been for the incident in their hut.

Now it felt almost impossible to focus on her food, as she was far too busy glancing up at him when he wasn't looking or avoiding eye contact when he _was_ observing her. Their behaviour was so uncharacteristic that not even Sara became quickly aware that something had happened, but Brighton also nosily asked if they were both feeling alright. They both mumbled excuses and tossed half-hearted insults at each other which raised even more eyebrows and then made sure to steer the conversation to a different subject.

When the children had polished off their plates, Niles busied himself clearing the table and storing away leftovers. In the meantime C.C. leaned in to Maxwell and whispered: "Would now be a good time?"

His eyes flickered nervously to his wife who only gave him a confused look in return and then nodded. "Certainly, let's see where we can find some privacy, shall we?"

They both rose to their feet and C.C. followed Maxwell through the cabin until they found an unused bedroom right underneath the roof.

"I saw what you did in the office," C.C. began instantly without beating around the bush.

Perplexed, because he had been expecting to hear something completely different, Maxwell frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"In New York, I mean," C.C. clarified, smiling thinly "I saw you taking work documents along."

"Yes but I've barely even managed to look at them. I've been busy with the family."He announced this, C.C. felt, like a disclaimer in case his wife was around and then added more quietly "Of course a little bit here and a little bit there but-"

"I've brought my laptop and a few scripts along," C.C. interrupted him before he could continue justifying himself further "and I think I've made some progress. How about you hand me your documents and later and then you go and pay Niles a visit at our hut. You know the password, don't you?"

Maxwell nodded and then glanced around nervously. "You haven't told Sara though, have you?"

"Then I might as well not have taken the laptop along," C.C. pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"True," he agreed and took a deep breath "still, we should probably head back downstairs before she gets suspicious."

* * *

Niles who hadn't witnessed any of this was surprised to find that C.C. decided to spend the day with the Sheffields playing board games, rather than hurrying back to the hut as soon as possible. The only thing he could surmise from it was that she really did not want to be alone with him. As disappointing as this was and as eager as he was to discuss matters with her, he also knew that there was no sense pushing her – especially not in front of the Sheffields – and so he left the cabin once all his chores were done.

Alone once more he wanted to make the most of his solitude by coming up with the right words for a later conversation with C.C. but eventually discovered that the silence with all these heavy questions in the air was driving him insane. So he was relieved when there was suddenly a knock on the door.

"Yes?" he called, sitting up straighter on his bed.

"Sorry to bother you, old man," Maxwell said, stepping into the hut and Niles' relief quickly evaporated.

"How can I help you?" he asked through gritted teeth, hoping that his tone would be enough of a hint to stop his employer from asking any more favours.

"C.C. told me she's brought her laptop and I'd just quickly like to use it."

"It's in her bedroom I think," Niles explained and pointed to the room behind him.

Maxwell nodded and stepped inside and re-appeared a moment later holding the laptop.

"Does Sara know why you're here?" Niles asked, now unable to stop himself from grinning.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," the other Brit mumbled and hurriedly typed in the password.

"Then why are you sneaking around?" Niles' grin only broadened.

"I'm not…and if anything it's you and C.C. who are acting strange."

That comment silenced Niles rather rapidly and Maxwell was granted several minutes to scan the work C.C. had been doing and to apply corrections where necessary. Then he closed the laptop again and looked at his butler once more.

"I am sorry if I interrupted a private moment earlier, old man." He said carefully, giving his friend an honest smile "I didn't know that you two were..."

"We're not," Niles shrugged; a gesture which he intended to look nonchalant but which made him look like a brooding teenager instead "If anything I think I've spooked her."

"I hardly think that's possible." Maxwell replied.

He had only met his wife's best friend a couple of years ago but in that time he had never known her to be shy or nervous around men. If anything she was the one who left the men feeling a little bit on edge.

"Perhaps it is," Niles sighed quietly "I mean we both know how she thinks about domestic staff. Maybe I've crossed a line."

Although Maxwell was silently agreeing with his friend on his secretary's attitude towards class differences he couldn't help but feel awkward. Having dodged a bullet with C.C. it seemed he was still meant to give relationship advice; a task made difficult by how little information he had about the actual situation he had interrupted and how reluctant he was to find out more about it. So in the end he decided to say the only thing that seemed plausible in his head.

"I think she would've made it quite apparent if you had crossed a line."

Niles sighed and smiled a little. This conversation wasn't giving him any new insights or re-assurance but he was nonetheless thankful for his friend's clumsy attempts at putting him at ease. "Thank you."

The dark-haired Brit smiled and walked to the door. "I should head back before Sara starts asking questions. Why don't you join us?"

"No thank you, Maxwell. I'm not really a big fan of board games."

His employer nodded and left, secretly musing to himself that it was probably better this way. God only knew his secretary and butler could take a game of Monopoly to a whole new, competitive level.

* * *

But he needn't have been so worried in the first place. C.C. was much too preoccupied with her thoughts regarding this morning's incident to take the game as serious as she usually would've done. Wedged between the children she had endured countless screaming matches, outbursts and game pieces flung at her, all of which without batting an eyelid. Yet while the kids were counting their blessings, Sara was growing unnerved by her friend's calm and absent-mindedness.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Chas?" she asked carefully when the children had bounded into the kitchen to help themselves to yet more snacks.

"Yes, I'm just feeling tired. Didn't get much sleep last night."

She lied because she really did not want to discuss the incident with anyone else. A moment later, however, she regretted choosing that particular excuse.

"Why don't you go and have an early night then, mmh?" Sara suggested gently, squeezing her hand.

"Nono, I'll be alright." C.C. hurriedly said, sitting up straighter.

It was much too early to return to the hut. She'd been hoping to stay away so long that Niles would be asleep by the time she returned.

"Don't worry, Chas, you don't have to feel bad. I know you've been trying your best to convince me that you didn't mean those comments about Brighton and Maggie on the first day. I'm not mad anymore. Just go and get some sleep."

C.C. sighed, realising that there was no way out now. Leave it to Sara to turn her absent-mindedness into a thoughtful gesture.

"If you're sure?" she hedged one last time but then rose to her feet when Sara nodded.

"We'll see you tomorrow for breakfast."

"Goodnight," C.C. smiled forced and then made her way through the corridor and to the front door.

Before she could reach it, the door was already opened and Maxwell slipped inside, rain dripping from his coat and onto the wooden floor.

"Still hasn't stopped yet, has it?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Terrible. Are you off then?"

"Yes," she nodded "did you find the laptop?" And her voice dropped to a quieter tone.

"Yes," he nodded "I made some corrections in red. You have my documents?"

"I took a quick look but I didn't think it wise to smuggle them out in this weather."

"No…true…" he nodded pensively "maybe tomorrow."

"Exactly, goodnight, Maxwell."

The rain hit her like a bucket of ice water, pelting her body and soaking her to the bone within seconds. She increased her pace and hurried up the now muddy path to the hut she shared with Niles. For the first time that day she didn't have time to think what their encounter would be like and simply burst into the hut.

"You've always known how to make an entrance," Niles commented with a crooked grin, while she quickly peeled her soggy coat off.

It would've been so easy to pretend then that nothing out of the ordinary had transpired between them. But she couldn't bring herself to toss back an insult and instead focused on removing the rest of her clothes, her trousers sticking uncomfortably and icily to her skin. Without a word she moved on to her bedroom and started undressing there and had just managed to put on a soft pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before he appeared in her doorway.

"If you're going to say now "We need to talk" I will kill you." She stated soberly and he closed his mouth again.

"So you don't think we should?" Niles asked, watching her as she slipped past him and into the bathroom to retrieve a towel to dry her hair.

"I don't see a reason," she shrugged.

"Well, I do." He insisted "I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or if I crossed a line. I wasn't thinking at that moment which isn't to say that I regret it."

C.C. tried not to pay attention to his words and focused on towelling her hair instead. But it wasn't long before he noticed and cornered her, gently prying the towel out of her hands.

"C.C., for God's sake, look at me!" he insisted a bit more firmly "You don't have to feel embarrassed for reacting shyly or for wanting something more to happen. We both-"

He didn't get any further because she had quickly stepped closer and captured his lips. The kiss was hard and rough and much more sexual as her tongue coaxed his into action. But it felt completely wrong. In a different situation Niles may have enjoyed this more passionate approach but right now it seemed to be lacking something and he knew she had only kissed him to shut him up.

He broke away panting and raggedly muttered: "I am not going to sleep with you."

His rejection stung far more than she had expected and she took a step back to further distance herself from him.

"You could've fooled me this morning." She said icily and he sighed, closing his eyes for a split-second.

"Damnit, Babcock, that's not what I mean. Of course I am interested but not just that. I don't just want to have sex with you now and then wake up tomorrow morning with you pretending that nothing has happened. It was difficult enough today! There is more between us, C.C., just –"

"No," she answered clipped.

Because there couldn't be more between a butler and a socialite, there couldn't be more between her and the man who insulted her daily, there couldn't be more because it would alter the only stable relationship she'd had.

"There's nothing but a sexual attraction between us, Niles. And if you don't want to explore that…very well," she shrugged "I am certain I will find another man who is willing."

She moved past him and to her bedroom again but he grabbed her wrist before she could disappear.

"You're cheating yourself out of something with real potential because you're scared. I hope you won't regret it." He said softly and quietly, yet without being able to look her in the eye.

Then he took his hand away and withdrew to his bed while her door gently thudded close behind her.


	6. Day 5

**A/N: Well, I'm glad to see I haven't bored some of you yet with this. lol This is the final chapter. Let me know what you think...I'm pondering an Epilogue but I'm open to suggestions as well. If you think it still needs one I'll write it. :) **

Day 5:

The weather had cleared up enough the next day to allow some rays of sun to penetrate the clouds and the thicket of trees and branches. But C.C. was in no mood to properly appreciate this. She had awoken with a throbbing headache, feeling as if she hadn't managed to get any sleep that night, constantly haunted by vivid dreams, shreds of which she could only remember.

Under normal circumstances she would've turned around again and tried to go back to sleep. But today she knew that her efforts would be futile. So she slipped out of bed and grabbed all the things from her suitcase that she'd need to prepare for her final day at the ranch. She couldn't wait to get home, to get some distance between her and the Sheffields again and most importantly to re-establish some normalcy with Niles which she believed to find in their daily routine at the mansion.

But for now she wasn't keen on enduring another awkward encounter or conversation with him and so she planned on sneaking into the bathroom and out again and then leave the hut entirely and make her way to the Sheffields. She wasn't excited to be surrounded by them so early in the morning either but it was the lesser of two evils.

She gently pushed the handle down and tried to open the door as silently as possible. When she set her first step outside, however, she realised that she needn't have worried. Niles' bed was empty and the bathroom door stood wide open as well with no sign of him which meant that he had already left. Breathing a deep sigh of relief C.C. allowed herself to relax her posture and went about her business with much more ease than she otherwise would've done. When she had finished she withdrew to her bedroom once more and picked up her laptop to read Maxwell's corrections, knowing that Niles was currently occupying the place she had deemed as a safe haven a moment before.

As she began working the morning slowly started to slip away and she only realised how late it had become when her belly noisily demanded food. Reluctantly she closed her laptop and grabbed her coat and made her way over to the Sheffields' cabin.

There, the lavish breakfast that Niles had laid out for the family was almost consumed. The kids had already jumped up and fled the table to play with their toys in the living room instead, Maxwell was reading his newspaper and Sara was finishing her last cup of coffee while Niles had started to clear the table.

"Miss Babcock," Niles said formally with a smile that seemed to cost him a rather great effort "you just missed breakfast."

"Don't you have anything left over?" she asked, fumbling to find her haughty tone again.

"I suppose," he muttered and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Don't mind him," Sara smiled and patted her hand "he's been grumpy all morning. Here, have some coffee."

C.C. nodded gratefully and took a sip of the dark liquid and noticed that Maxwell seemed to be looking after his butler with a thoughtful expression rather than the disapproving one that usually appeared in these situations. Could it be that he knew what he had interrupted the day before at their hut? C.C. frowned as his face disappeared behind the newspaper again and took another sip of her coffee. Impossible! Maxwell was as dense as they came and for him to know more than his wife seemed a ridiculous notion.

"Maggie has decided she wants to try out horseback riding today." Sara told her while Niles returned and set a plate with greasy sausages and a runny egg down in front of her.

"Are you sure doing this on the last day of vacation is a good idea?" C.C. questioned, leaning forward to grab a few slices of the remaining cold toast "If she injures herself it could make our trip home terribly difficult."

"Your concern is touching." Niles intersected and then removed more items from the table but C.C. ignored him.

"I'm sure she'll be alright," Sara shrugged and smiled, also choosing not to comment on Niles' words "I'm sure they'll take it slow and teach her the basics first."

"Still, horses can be unpredictable." C.C. hummed and took a bite of her food, determined to enjoy it, no matter how little effort Niles had put into it.

"Why don't you come along and keep an eye on her?" Sara asked happily and C.C. sighed.

"Me? It's not like I can protect her once she's riding."

"Nono, I know," Sara agreed and shrugged again "but I wanted to ask you anyway. I know you've always enjoyed riding."

C.C. glanced up at Niles who was still moving in and out of the room and weighed her options.

"Alright, I'll join you!" she eventually agreed with more enthusiasm than she actually felt "It has been a while…"

* * *

After she had finished her meagre breakfast, she quickly headed to her hut to change into more casual clothes and then reunited with Sara and Maggie at the main cabin where they had checked in on their first day. The two Sheffields weren't entirely alone though but in the company of a young man in riding boots. C.C. surmised that it was one of the volunteers who helped out at the Ranch in the summer.

"I suppose you must be C.C.?" he asked when he saw her approaching "I'm Jack."

At first taken back by his knowledge and direct use of her first name she suddenly didn't mind when he flashed her a gorgeous smile.

"Yes, sorry you had to wait so long." She apologised in an uncharacteristic move that only served to make Sara giggle.

A glare from C.C. shut her up soon though and they started moving in the direction of the horses.

"So have you ever been on a horse before?" the young man asked while opening the gates for them.

"Yes, I practically grew up with them." C.C. replied proudly although it had been clear that it was Maggie who the question had been addressed too.

"I didn't mean you," he chuckled amused while Sara rolled her eyes "I'm sure you're very good at riding."

His voice had dipped lower and there was a look in his eyes that made it unmistakably clear what he was getting at. The flirtation, however, went straight over Maggie's head who tugged at his shirt and innocently asked: "What about me? Do you think I'll be good as well?"

"Of course you will," Jack smiled and winked at her.

"Although even the best rider can improve when trained properly," C.C. intersected in sultry tones.

"Oh for God's sake!" Sara exclaimed exasperated and dragged her off to the side "Can you keep your hormones in check for five minutes so my daughter can pick out her horse?"

"Fine…fine…" C.C. muttered "but you don't understand. There's a rhythm to these things and it's difficult getting that back once you've been interrupted."

For a moment her mind flashed to Niles and the banter they engaged in every day. There was also a rhythm and flow to their insults and the excitement was almost similar. Realising what she was doing C.C. shook her head and brushed it off as a ridiculous notion. Instead she made herself focus on Jack and Maggie again. She had chosen a pretty white mare and Jack was putting the saddle and bridle on it before helping her up.

"It's quite high," Maggie's timid voice suddenly echoed through the stable and Sara moved closer.

"If you're afraid you don't have to do it, sweetheart."

"Exactly," Jack agreed "but Feather is really a sweetheart and I'll hold her first in anyway."

While the girl tried to make up her mind, C.C. impatiently stepped outside and into the sun again. How scary could it be? E

ventually the others emerged from the stable as well, Maggie still sitting on the horse, looking as if she was clinging on to dear life.

"She'll relax," Sara mumbled as they moved to the fence to watch, though if she was telling C.C. or trying to convince herself wasn't certain.

* * *

Around lunchtime Niles appeared, carrying a picknick basket. "Your husband thought you must be hungry after all this exercise," he explained and grabbed several items that he spread out on the grass.

"Thank you, Niles," Sara smiled happily "but we can take it from here. If you want you can just go back to your cabin and relax."

Niles nodded but cast curious little glances around.

"Someone you're looking for?" Sara asked, struggling to keep an amused smile off her face.

While she hadn't been around to witness the incident the previous day, she had noticed the lingering glances and slight flirtation between her butler and her best friend before.

"Mr Sheffield told me Miss Babcock would be out here too. What happened? Did she get trampled?"

Knowing that he found it impossible to inquire directly about her, Sara smiled but slapped his arm nonetheless.

"No, her and Jack just decided to go on a little trek around the ranch while Maggie and I had our break."

While Niles had never seen Jack before, the information alone that C.C. had gone off with him turned his expression sour. "I see," he commented and rose to his feet and then without another word started marching back down the trail.

"Why is Niles so grumpy, mommy?" little Maggie inquired, looking after him.

Sara pondered how to answer this for a moment and then smiled. "You know how your brother gets when he has a new toy that you want to play with?"

Her daughter's forehead instantly crinkled into a frown. "Yeah, he gets mean and he doesn't wanna share!"

"Exactly," Sara nodded and pecked Maggie's head "that's the same reason Niles just stormed out of here."

"He's throwing a tantrum!" the little girl chuckled but then looked more confused again. Why would anyone want to play with C.C.?

* * *

Jack could've given her several reasons but of course they wouldn't have been appropriate for children. However, he wasted no time in laying them out for C.C. As flattered as she had been to begin with and as eager to convince herself and Niles that she wasn't a woman on the lookout for "more", something stopped her in the end. As confused as she was at this sudden change of heart, Jack tried his best to persuade her but using the fact that it was the last day of vacation and she still needed to pack as an excuse, C.C. finally got rid of him and made her way back to the little hut.

"Back so soon?" Niles quipped testily from his spot on the bed and C.C. frowned at him while shrugging out of her coat.

"What do you mean?"

"He can't have been very good then, could he?" Niles continued.

"Of course you've heard about Jack," she muttered and bent down to open her shoes "why am I not surprised?"

"Why are you not-?" he exclaimed and then cut himself off "Why am _I_ not surprised?! You would throw yourself at anyone!"

"Except you which is why you're so bitter." C.C. shot back, matching his tone in venom.

He scoffed and started to make excuses but she lifted her hand to silence him.

"This is precisely why there won't be more between us, Niles. I refuse to let myself be tied down by a man. All my life I have worked to get away from that. I refused to give up my studies, I refused to marry rich and settle down, I refused to limit myself to my dad's firm and I refuse to transform myself into some soft kitten for you!"

"And that's where you're wrong!" Niles interrupted her loudly "I never asked you to change. But I think you noticed that I brought out some shyness in you that you may not have encountered so frequently with other men."

"Oh please..." C.C. muttered, shook her head and started marching towards her bedroom.

But Niles refused to let her slip away and scrambled out of bed and after her. "It's making you feel uncomfortable and vulnerable…"

"If I wanted to be psycho-analysed I'd call Dr Bort!" C.C. snapped, wheeling around to face him.

"I'm just stating facts here!"

"Facts my ass," she muttered and Niles produced a low growling sound before he grabbed her and kissed her heatedly.

Her hands met his chest roughly, trying to push him away but a moment later a soft moan escaped her lips and she returned the kiss with as much passion. The gentle grasping of her fingers at his shirt, combined with the smell of Chanel No. 5 was making his head heavy and numbing his senses. So it took him quite some time to realise that they were venturing down a familiar path again.

_Damn that infuriating woman!_

Gently he broke the kiss but kept his arms around her. "I am not trying to control you C.C.," he then stated evenly, knowing that she probably wouldn't believe him.

"Then why don't you accept that I don't want more?"

He opened his mouth to speak, wanted to explain that he simply _knew_ that she was capable of giving more, that he had seen the look in her eyes. But perhaps these were simply things that he had imagined because he so desperately needed them to be true.

"Because I know we'd be good for each other," he quietly said, releasing a sigh.

"We're good for each other now," she shrugged and then amended when she saw his raised eyebrow and amused grin "well, we aren't entirely bad for each other. And that's more than can be said about most of my relationships. Why ruin it?"

And as much as it pained him Niles realised that she wasn't ready yet.

"I understand," he replied with a melancholy smile and then leaned in to brush his lips over her cheek "goodnight C.C."

She kept him in place and for a moment allowed their lips to meet again in a soft and careful kiss. "Goodnight…"

She was just about to close the door when he turned around and called her name.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Did you and Jack?" he twisted his hands nervously.

"No," she smiled a little and shook her head and then closed the door.

Sighing in relief Niles made his way back to his bed. Maybe all wasn't lost yet and maybe in the future their steady relationship, the continuous little moments and their undeniable spark would turn into something more.


End file.
